WHAT’S UP WITH THAT?

It seems odd to me that the American people, who are really mad and they’re not going to take it anymore, are mad at the g-o-v-e-r-n-m-e-n-t rather than mad at corporate America and Wall Street (who actually caused the economic melt-down).  So many have bought-in to the idea that ‘big government is to blame for the state of our country and our economy.’  When, in fact, it is the lack of government regulations and oversight (initiated by Republican deregulation ideology) that are to blame for the great recession.  Blame the government rather than the perps?  What’s up with that? 

Businesses and corporations do what they do.  They exist to make profits, and as much profit as they can.  They can’t be blamed for being what they are, anymore than the scorpion in the children’s fable can be blamed for stinging his friend the frog.  When asked by the frog why he stung him he replied, “I’m a scorpion;  it’s my nature.”  It’s the nature of corporations to make profits.   Some (many?) in any way they can.  Sneaky bookeeping, cutting safety corners, marketing products in deceptive ways — any way they can.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt said on January 20, 1937 — “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals, now we know that it is bad economics.”  Heedless self-interest is the nature of greed, of the single-minded pursuit of profit.  Yes we now know, once again, that this is bad economics.  Do we have to keep learning this lesson over, and over, and over again?

And yet, and yet — the Republicans continue to cheer for deregulation.  Still.  After all this damage to our economy, our environment, safe toys, and safe food supply and medicines.  Republicans support profits over the American people.  They claim to believe that profits are in the best interest of the American people.  Even if that once was true, it no longer is. 

The right has cheered for profits and asserted that profits would make ours a better country by providing more jobs.  While they deregulated and cut taxes for corporations –thereby boosting profits — the business world took their jobs to other countries.  They raped our country, got mega-wealthy, polluted our environment, poisoned us with tainted and chemically sprayed foods, imported dangerous and lead laden toys, put unsafe medicines on the market, AND THEN TOOK THE JOBS AWAY! 

And still Republicans say, “Cut taxes on corporations and deregulate”  We here at CLN say, “We want MORE government!”